Cogent Biosciences stock rises after FDA grants breakthrough therapy status

Investing.com -- Ascent Solar Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:ASTI) stock tumbled 20.4% on Monday after the company announced a private placement offering expected to raise approximately $10 million.

The thin-film solar panel manufacturer entered into definitive agreements to sell 1,818,182 shares of common stock (or pre-funded warrants) along with accompanying warrants at $5.50 per share. The offering, priced at-the-market under Nasdaq rules, includes series A warrants and short-term series B warrants that could potentially bring in an additional $15 million if fully exercised.

H.C. Wainwright & Co. is serving as the exclusive placement agent for the offering, which is expected to close around January 26, 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.

Ascent Solar indicated it plans to use the net proceeds for general working capital needs. The securities being offered have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933 and cannot be sold in the United States without effective registration or an applicable exemption.

As part of the agreement, the company has committed to filing registration statements with the SEC covering the resale of the shares and has agreed to certain restrictions on issuing additional shares for 30 days after the registration statement becomes effective, with limited exceptions.

Ascent Solar Technologies specializes in flexible thin-film solar panels designed for space, military, defense, and other applications where mass, performance, reliability, and resilience are critical factors.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Investing.com -- The CEO of aircraft leasing giant SMBC Aviation has publicly called on Airbus (EPA:AIR) and other manufacturers to resolve persistent supply chain problems and meet delivery deadlines.

Speaking at the Airline Economics conference on Monday, Peter Barrett emphasized the need for predictability in aircraft deliveries after six years of disruptions.

"I think delivery: I’ve said this to him privately and I’m happy to say it publicly," Barrett told Reuters, referring to the new head of Airbus’ jet division who made his debut appearance at the conference. "We all understand the challenges that COVID brought, but ultimately people need a degree of predictability and certainty."

Barrett acknowledged that both Airbus and Boeing are making progress but stated they are "not where they need to be." He extended this assessment to engine manufacturers as well.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Investing.com -- Noble Corporation (NYSE:NE) stock rose 4.7% Monday after the offshore drilling contractor announced new contract awards for nine rigs totaling approximately $1.3 billion in backlog.

The company secured a three-year contract for its Noble GreatWhite harsh environment semisubmersible rig with Aker BP for operations offshore Norway, representing approximately $473 million in contract value. This marks Noble’s expansion into Norway’s harsh environment floater market.

The new contracts have significantly improved fleet utilization, with 92% of Noble’s 24 marketed floaters now contracted compared to 75% previously. Other notable awards include a two-year drilling contract for the Noble Gerry de Souza with an ExxonMobil affiliate in Nigeria worth an estimated $292 million, and additional rig years under the Commercial Enabling Agreement in Guyana.

"These important backlog additions indicate a strong and broad-based demand for deepwater drilling on a multi-year basis," said Robert W. Eifler, President and CEO of Noble.

The company noted that while these programs will require incremental one-time capital expenditures in 2026, including approximately $160 million for the Noble GreatWhite’s reactivation and contract preparation, they are expected to drive increased fleet EBITDA and free cash flow in future years.

Additional contracts include awards for the Noble BlackRhino, Noble Endeavor, and Noble Developer in various regions including the U.S. Gulf, South America, and Trinidad, with dayrates ranging from $300,000 to $375,000.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Investing.com -- U.S. stocks traded marginally higher Monday, as investors braced for a key week featuring a Federal Reserve policy meeting and a wave of corporate earnings amid elevated geopolitical tensions.

At 09:34 ET (14:34 GMT), the Dow Jones Industrial Average traded 40 points, or 0.1%, higher, the S&P 500 index gained 18 points, or 0.3%, and the NASDAQ Composite rose 20 points, or 0.1%.

Fed meeting in spotlight

The main event of the week is the Federal Reserve’s two-day policy meeting, which is set to conclude on Wednesday, with markets broadly expecting the central bank to hold interest rates steady after three consecutive cuts in previous meetings.

"Similar to last year, it seems that the Fed will start an extended pause after a series of cuts at the end of last year," said analysts at ABN Amro, in a note. "We’ve recently updated our Fed forecast and now expect the policy rate to stay on hold until June. ’Fedspeak’ has turned relatively hawkish since the December meeting, growth is looking strong, and the unemployment rate has somewhat stabilized."

U.S. President Donald Trump’s spat with Fed Chair Jerome Powell, which has raised concerns over the independence of the Fed from political interference, will also be in the spotlight. Earlier this month, Powell said the Justice Department had opened a criminal investigation into him -- a move the long-time Fed leader described as politically motivated.

Powell is due to step down from the helm of the Fed in May, and Trump is expected to announce his replacement shortly.

Big tech earnings due

The calendar this week is also packed with corporate earnings that could influence market direction. About one-fifth of the S&P 500 is due to report quarterly results, including four of the so-called “Magnificent 7” megacap companies:

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) is due to report on Wednesday, alongside Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META), while Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is scheduled for Thursday.

Investors will scrutinize these reports for signs of resilience in consumer demand, progress on artificial intelligence initiatives, and the outlook for margins amid rising costs and geopolitical uncertainty.

Elsewhere, shares of American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL), Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) and United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) all fell on worries over possible flight delays and cancellations due to a heavy winter storm blanketing many American states.

Baker Hughes (NASDAQ:BKR) stock rose after the energy services company reported an 11% rise in fourth quarter adjusted profit as demand for its gas technology equipment and services more than offset weakness in its oilfield services and equipment business.

Gold surges above $5,100/oz

Global worries remained elevated as Trump warned on Saturday he would impose a 100% tariff on Canada if Ottawa follows through on a trade deal with China.

Prime Minister Mark Carney, for his part, said Canada has "no intention" of going after a free trade deal with China. He added that Ottawa respects its commitments made under a separate pact with the U.S. and Mexico, and would inform both of such an agreement before pursuing it.

This follows the U.S. president rowing back last week on his threat of trade tariffs on many countries in Europe as the U.S. received control of Greenland, and thus gaining strategic influence in the Arctic. 

Gold prices surged to record highs above $5,100 an ounce for the first time, extending a blistering rally from last week as investors rushed into the safe-haven asset amid an uncertain geopolitical landscape.

Additionally, oil prices edged slightly lower, consolidating after recent gains on renewed tensions between the U.S. and Iran as well as wintery conditions in large parts of the U.S. 

Brent futures gained 0.4% to $64.82 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 0.4% to $60.84 a barrel.

Both benchmarks notched weekly gains of 2.7% last week, closing on Friday at their highest points since January 14. 

On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. had an "armada" heading toward Iran, one of the largest crude producers in the Middle East, and a U.S. military aircraft carrier strike group and other assets are expected to arrive in the region in the coming days.

Also, in the U.S., crude and natural gas production fell and spot power prices spiked as a winter storm swept across the country.

Ayushman Ojha contributed to this article

Investing.com - Futures linked to Canada’s commodity-focused main stock index ticked higher on Friday, as investors shrugged off fresh U.S. tariff threats and focused on an extended surge in metals prices.

By 07:09 ET (12:09 GMT), the S&P/TSX 60 index standard futures contract had gained 11 points, or 0.6%.

The S&P/TSX composite index rose by 0.4% to 33,144.98 on Friday, ending the trading week at a new record closing high. For the week marked by volatility stemming from uncertainty around geopolitical tensions, the average added 0.3%.

Underpinning the advance was the materials sector, which includes metals mining shares. Along with a spike in gold prices to fresh all-time peaks thanks to a rush to the perceived safety of bullion, silver, which has practical uses in everything from solar panels to medical coatings, has also climbed.

U.S. futures subdued

U.S. stock index futures hovered below the flatline as investors braced for a key week featuring a Federal Reserve policy meeting and a wave of corporate earnings amid elevated geopolitical tensions.

At 07:27 ET, Dow Jones Futures were mostly unchanged, S&P 500 Futures slipped 6 points, or 0.1%, and Nasdaq 100 Futures fell 51 points, or 0.2%.

Wall Street is coming off a losing week, after increasing geopolitical tensions unnerved investors, with the benchmark S&P 500 losing about 0.4% for its second straight weekly decline.

One of the main events of the week will be the Fed’s two-day policy meeting, which is set to conclude on Wednesday. Markets broadly expect the central bank to hold interest rates steady after three consecutive cuts in previous meetings.

Elsewhere, President Donald Trump said over the weekend that he would place a 100% duty on Canada if America’s northern neighbor strikes a trade deal with China.

Trump warned on social media that Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has recently visited China to discuss trade and argued for a need for smaller countries to address economic coercion by global superpowers at a speech in Davos last week, could imperil Canada by reaching a new agreement with Beijing.

"China will eat Canada alive, completely devour it, including the destruction of their businesses, social fabric, and general way of life," Trump wrote, adding that "all Canadian goods and products coming into the U.S.A." would face the 100% import tax if an accord is made.

Carney, for his part, said Canada has "no intention" of going after a free trade deal with China. He added that Ottawa respects its commitments made under a separate pact with the U.S. and Mexico, and would inform both of such an agreement before pursuing it.

Gold’s new all-time peak

Gold surged past the $5,100 an ounce level on Monday, while silver also climbed to new all-time peaks.

The yellow metal advanced more than 8% last week. It has already risen nearly 17% this year, driven by a combination of geopolitical risk, expectations of easier U.S. monetary policy later in 2026, and sustained demand from central banks.

"While market conditions remain volatile, the broader backdrop remains supportive. Geopolitical tensions, central bank buying, and structural supply deficits leave both metals well positioned," analysts at ING said in a note to clients.

"Silver’s tight physical market and strong industrial demand should continue to provide a solid floor, though its elevated volatility means sharp swings remain likely," they continued.

Oil choppy

Elsewhere, oil prices were volatile, as traders assessed renewed tensions between the U.S. and Iran as well as a heavy winter storm pummeling large parts of the U.S.

Brent futures were last down by 0.1% to $65.04 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures dipped 0.2% to $60.98 a barrel.

Both benchmarks notched weekly gains of 2.7% last week, closing on Friday at their highest points since January 14.

On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. had an "armada" heading toward Iran, one of the largest crude producers in the Middle East, and a U.S. military aircraft carrier strike group and other assets are expected to arrive in the region in the coming days.

Also in the U.S., crude and natural gas production fell and spot power prices spiked as a winter storm swept across the country.